Legislative & Local Updates for the 149th District for the Week Ending April 14, 2023

April 17, 2023

Aside from our budgetary committees (Appropriations, Finance, Revenue and Bonding), all of our committee work has wrapped up. Now we shift to more days in session to vote on the bills that have passed out of respective committees. I look forward to the next phase of this legislative session. 

Don't forget - taxes are due Tuesday, April 18!
 
Wishing you a great weekend!
 
Supporting Our Firefighters
On Monday, I had the opportunity to participate in a FireOps 101 training at the Hartford Fire Department Training Center, where I got to experience - see and feel - what our firefighters experience every day. 
 
Every day, our firefighters put their lives on the line to keep us safe. And, yet, in addition to the daily risks of doing their jobs, they risk exposure to cancer-causing PFAS chemicals, including in their protective gear (to learn more about this, here is a great video on the topic). 
 
According to the International Association of Firefighters, 66% of firefighter deaths from 2002-2019 were caused by cancer. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared firefighting to be a cancer-causing profession. Unfortunately, right now, Connecticut is one of only two states that fails to provide presumptive cancer coverage for our firefighters. This is why I’m proud to support SB938, which would provide presumptive cancer coverage for our firefighters. It’s the right thing to do given what firefighters do on a daily basis to keep us safe.

See media coverage of the event by WTNH and NBC CT, and watch the video with Connecticut AFL-CIO President Ed Hawthrone for the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, Rep. Paris, and me HERE.
 
Decision on Alliance of Hippocratic Medicine vs. U.S. Food and Drug Administration 
Last Friday, a Texas judge issued a ruling that would put a hold on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone - one of two medications in the most common medication abortion regimen in the United States. The FDA approved mifepristone more than 20 years ago and it has been used by millions of women to safely end pregnancies. Late Wednesday, a federal appeals court ruled that the medication could remain available, but due to the impact of the Texas decision, the drug can no longer be sent through the mail and is now restricted to labeled use 7 weeks into pregnancy instead of 10 weeks. These decisions have the real-world effect of limiting access to abortion around the country. 
 
Furthermore, this move to limit access to medication also affects miscarriage care, care for ectopic pregnancies, and for other significant pregnancy complications. As such, it will jeopardize the health of many.
 
I believe that all people have the right to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive health for themselves and their families, and I will stand by them to ensure that those rights are not stripped away.
Video Update: Two Bills of Interest
 
 
Join Us on Zoom to Discuss Road Safety and Infrastructure Funding
Join the House members of the Greenwich delegation as we meet with CT Department of Revenue Services Commissioner Mark Boughton, on Wednesday, April 19, at 7 p.m., regarding road safety and infrastructure funding available to our municipalities. To register, click HERE or click on the graphic below. 
 
April is Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Acceptance Month. This year's theme, “Celebrate Differences,” aims to herald the acceptance of individuals beyond the spectrum.
 
Formerly known as Autism Awareness Month, in 2021, the Autism Society of America changed it to Autism Acceptance Month to promote receptivity and inclusivity.
 
Autism is a complex developmental condition stemming from differences in a person's brain structure and neurotransmitters affecting individuals' verbal and non-verbal communication. Currently, 1 in 54 children is diagnosed with autism every year.
 Things to remember about autism:
  •     Autism is a disorder, not a disease.
  •     People with autism need our support and not our judgment.
  •     It is likely you have met someone with autism, even if you think you haven't.
  •     Everyone on the autism spectrum is different, and there are many subtypes.
  •     Children with autistic characteristics are generally diagnosed by age four.
  •     Diagnosis rates may be increasing, but there are now better ways to monitor and assess symptoms.

To learn more about autism and state resources, click the button below.
State Resources
It is important to celebrate our differences so we can learn more about one another and become empowering to all neurodiverse individuals.
 
A Conversation with Drea Kelly
 
Live Like Luke Clean-Up Day on April 22
 
Celebrate Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day and volunteer to beautify Mianus River Park on Saturday, April 22. The Town of Greenwich Parks and Recreation Foundation will hold an Earth Day Clean Up and Beatification of Mianus River Park on Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
 
Smashing the Stigma Around Mental Illness:
Hope Day
 
Stand Against Racism